Page 47 of Watch For Me By Candlelight

‘I know. But she’s calling it out again, saying Poppy’s not mine and she doesn’t know who she belongs to, but I’ve demanded DNA tests this time. It’s awful and there’s a social worker involved, and Poppy’s being looked after elsewhere until they can establish parentage, which should be pretty conclusive with the tests. Lori doesn’t have any parents, and mine obviously don’t enter the equation because Lori’s still insisting she’s not mine. But if she does belong to me, I’ll be fighting for her until I get her.’

‘And if she’s not yours?’

‘If she’s not, then God knows what will happen.’

‘It’s rather . . . messy.’ Kate said. She sat back and drained her glass, as if she wished it was something a lot stronger.

‘I’d say “messy” was an understatement. So that’s where we are. I owed it to you to tell you why I ran off that day. But! On a positive note,’ he smiled, genuinely, this time, ‘I hear they’re having an event at the Hall for Bank Holiday.’ He reached out and captured Kate’s hand in his. He traced the shape of her fingers with his thumb. ‘I’m going to head over to the Hall now. I’ve got an appointment to see the Earl.’ He flicked a gaze up at her. ‘We just need to finalise a couple of things I started with Cassie, but hopefully I should be around all of that weekend. I really hope you are too.’

‘But what about Poppy?’

‘She’s safe for now. I just have to wait and see.’

‘And Lori? What if she snaps her fingers and asks you to go back? What if guilt gets the better of you? What if Poppy is yours after all?’

Theo sighed and released her hands. He drained his own lemon and elderflower, and studied something in the bottom of the glass which may or may not have been a twig. ‘I know I never want to be in a relationship with Lori again — but if I had to live in the same house as her for Poppy’s sake, I’d do it.’

* * *

It certainly wasn’t ideal. But it was an explanation, of sorts. Kate appreciated that, at least.

‘Thank you for telling me,’ she said. ‘I’m not quite sure how I feel about any of that.’

‘Me neither.’ He looked at her. ‘But I owed it to you to let you know. It doesn’t alter how I feel about you though.’ He dropped his gaze again. ‘When I came here the first time, it was all clear in my head. The part of my life that had included Lori was over, I’d brought up another man’s child and I would never see Poppy again. That was the hardest thing about it.’

‘But now there’s every chance she is yours. And every chance Lori will be in your life forever.’

Theo pulled a face. ‘If Poppy is mine, then they’re a package. Sort of. Unless I can do anything about it.’ He frowned and she wondered exactly what he meant.

‘It’s ironic, isn’t it, though?’ She pushed her glass away with a sigh. ‘When we first met, you were free and I wasn’t. Then I broke up with Chris and now you have other things piling up. You’ve sort of acquired a partner and child, which I didn’t know at the beginning. And I got rid of my partner, because you walked into my life.’

‘I have a child, maybe. But not a partner. It’s been off more than it’s been on.’ He reached out and took her hand. ‘It’s all just a bit up in the air. Can you wait a while — bear with me — until I sort it all out?’

Kate looked into his eyes and saw the pain there. She couldn’t imagine what it must feel like to have that sort of a relationship with a child. She wondered, briefly, if she should have to wait for long.

Then she found herself nodding. ‘I can wait. Just a little while. You need to be clear in your own mind what you want and how you want to deal with it all. I don’t want to complicate things, or influence you.’ Carefully, she drew her hand away. ‘And you shouldn’t stay in Hartsford, because that will totally influence you.’

He smiled wryly. ‘I love Hartsford. It hasn’t taken me long to work that one out, but my life at the moment is in Derbyshire and I can’t predict the future.’

The unsaid words were, and Poppy is in Derbyshire.

She pushed the chair away from the table and stood up. ‘You might have responsibilities up there in the future. I understand that. You’ll be here for the Country House Party, won’t you? Let’s just leave things as they are for now, and I’ll wait until then.’

‘Can I—’

‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘No. Don’t contact me, Theo. Please. It’s just too difficult. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.’

And with that, she turned and walked away before she made an even bigger fool of herself than she felt she had done already.

Chapter Seventeen

Country House Party Weekend — Saturday

Kate tried the outfit on and twisted this way and that in the mirror. It could have looked very wrong. It could have swamped her. She could have had an accident, tripping over the hem, she considered, lifting her leg up and plucking off a loose thread. But it didn’t.

Her years of ballet had paid off, and thankfully she didn’t wobble as she stood there, flamingo-like. All that practice had toned her body up and this outfit cleverly cinched her in where she needed it, to give the impression she had an hourglass figure after all. Kate allowed herself a small smile at her reflection and smoothed the blouse down over her hips. It was a glorious morning and she was looking forward to working at the Hall today.

She almost didn’t recognise the person who looked back at her — she looked like Rita Hayworth, thanks to Cassie. Kate had gone to Cassie’s last night, so her friend could try to force her hair into soft, bendy curlers that looked more like pipe-cleaners. A bottle of wine later, it had been the most hysterical thing ever, but dear me, what a mess she looked when she had scurried home at eleven o’clock with a headscarf on.